


Everything Comes Back To You

by eddiesaspirator



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: And a brief mention of Richie with a woman, Domestic Fluff, It's Richie's birthday and he deserves all the love, Multi, Post-IT Chapter Two (2019), There's a slight bit of angst, but nothing serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:01:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27463831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eddiesaspirator/pseuds/eddiesaspirator
Summary: As Richie wakes up on the morning of his birthday, he thinks back to all the past celebrations he's had over the yers, from all the great memories he had with his friends back in Derry, to the messy and painful nights of his L.A. birthdays, a time filled with so much loneliness and pain he can hardly bare to think about it. But for the first time in over 20 years, Richie is excited, because this year he'll finally be able to celebrate once again with his boyfriend and his best friends. The only problem is, none of them seemed to have remembered it's his birthday.-----------------------------------------------A story of birthdays, found family and Richie Tozier finally getting all the love and care he deserves.
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	Everything Comes Back To You

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for the (belated) birthday of my wonderful friend Jessica, I hope you enjoy it Jess :) 
> 
> Also a shout-out to my friend Lou for the Bondi Rescue mention. I love you.
> 
> Content warning for recreational drug use and the brief mention of domestic abuse.
> 
> Title from 'This Town' by Niall Horan.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy reading this story, I finished it at 2am so apologies for any grammatical mistakes :')
> 
> I always love to hear feedback and comments!

_9:32_

That was the time that it read on Richie’s phone screen, the bright light illuminating his tired face, his eyes still scrunched half shut with sleep as he groaned and rolled onto his back, running a hand through his curly hair. _Friday March 7th 2017_. His birthday. Richie had a very love-hate relationship with birthdays, one that he had developed throughout his 41 years of life. As a kid, he loved them, an opportunity to be spoiled by both his family and friends alike. His parents always made very extravagant plans for the day ahead, knowing how much Richie enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with his friends outside of the four walls of their school. For his seventh birthday, Richie remembered his parents taking him, Eddie, Stan and Bill to the zoo, the four boys running around excitedly pointing to all of their favourite animals, faces pressed against the metal gates with looks of awe as they watched the tigers, lions, elephants and even a gorilla move around inside their cages. Even Eddie (so tiny at that age that he often had trouble keeping up with his three friends but was determined not to be left behind), who began the trip too nervous to go anywhere near the edge of the animal pens, found his confidence and joined Richie and the others leaning up to feed the giraffes and he even held one of the tarantulas in the insect room, with Richie stood next to him beaming and telling Eddie how proud he was of him.

For his 12th birthday, Richie had his first proper sleepover with Stan, Bill and Eddie, an event he had been counting down to since Christmas, as his parents had promised him they would allow the four boys to watch ‘Poltergeist’, a movie Richie had been begging his parents to let him see for months. His dad pulled out all the stops, using every bed sheet they owned to set up a fort in their den, with lights hung up and plenty bowls of popcorn and candy scattered around. The four sleeping bags were arranged on the floor so they were facing the screen that had been set up, a projector balanced at the back of the room that his dad tried to figure out how to turn on for a good hour before his mom walked in and informed him that he hadn’t actually plugged it into the wall. Richie had butterflies of excitement all day, bounding around the house, checking the front door every five minutes from an hour before his friends were even due to turn up, his whole body wired with energy and anticipation.

Once everyone arrived, they ordered four huge pizzas (another treat for Richie’s birthday), all four boys wolfing the food down whilst Richie made them cry with laughter from his impressions and jokes, before eventually changing into pyjamas and settling inside the fort to watch the movie. Richie sat in the middle, with Eddie on his left and Bill on his right, with Stanley sat on Bill’s other side. As the opening scene to the film started playing, Richie sensed that Eddie was starting to get a little anxious, as his hand nervously reached for his fanny pack, pulling out his blue inhaler that was kept in there. Richie had been worried that Eddie wouldn’t even be allowed to come to the sleepover, with Sonia’s overbearing behaviour seemingly getting worse as of late, but Maggie had reassured her that the boys would be watching a G-rated movie and they would be in bed by 10, Richie smirking as he noticed his mom’s crossed fingers behind her back, a sweet, but fake smile on her face as she spoke. Sonia had eventually agreed, but Eddie had still arrived at Richie’s house with a bag filled with various bottles of pills and sheets of paper detailing exactly which medication Eddie would need to take and at what time. Richie used every ounce of willpower he had not to just slam the door in Sonia’s face as she once again reminded Maggie just how fragile Eddie was, a fact Richie _knew_ not to be true because Eddie was just about the bravest person Richie had ever met.

Sensing Eddie’s nerves about watching the movie, Richie leaned over and whispered quietly in his ear so that the other two boys wouldn’t hear,

“Don’t worry Eds, my cousin says it isn’t even that scary, it’s just your basic ghost story.”

“First of all, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Eds? Secondly, this movie is cursed, did you know that?”, Eddie hissed.

“Eds, what are you talking about?” Richie chuckled.

“Do you know how many people who worked as a part of this movie have died since it came out? Three Rich, three! And before you say they died of old age, they were young people and the circumstances in which they died were very suspicious. That’s not even counting all the people that must have died after watching it. I’m telling you, this movie curses you.”

Richie was trying to act sympathetic but at the same time, he was having a tough time stifling his laughter at the scowl on Eddie’s face, that familiar crease forming between his eyebrows, a feature he hoped Eddie would never lose.

“Look Eddie, I’m sure it’s fine. I bet it’s just a freak coincidence that those people died, it’s probably nothing to do with the movie”, Richie said, the light from the projector reflecting off his thick-framed glasses as he looked down at Eddie. “And anyway, at least if this movie does curse you, at least we’ll be cursed together right?”, Richie said as he nudged Eddie’s shoulder reassuringly.

Eddie smiled slightly at that, but the anxious look still lingered on his young face.

“Eds, if you really don’t wanna watch the movie, we don’t have to you know, I don’t mind”, Richie said, a concerned look on his face as he gazed down at his best friend, whose left hand was still grasped tightly around his inhaler.

After a moment, Eddie took a deep breath before turning to Richie and saying quietly,

“No, it’s okay Rich, we can watch it. Just…” Eddie’s voice trailed off as he looked away from Richie, a slight blush forming on his face as he suddenly began avoiding making eye contact with his best friend.

“What is it Eds?” Richie inquired, looking down at Eddie with a confused look on his face.

“Do you...I mean would you...would you hold my hand if it gets too scary? It’s totally okay if you don’t want to, it’s probably a studid idea really, I just thought it might help, ya know, maybe, I don’t know…”

“Oh” Richie replied, a pink blush appearing on his own cheeks as he took in Eddie’s words.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, I completely get it if I’m being weird-” Eddie began to say.

“No, no Eds it’s fine!”, Richie interrupted, a small smile on his face as he spoke. “I..I’m happy...you know...to hold your hand when it gets scary...that’s totally okay, I don’t think it’s weird at all”, Richie mumbled, his cheeks still tinged pink.

“Thanks Rich”, Eddie said, relief clear in his voice as he smiled up at Richie, the same shy smile mirrored on Richie’s face as they both turned their heads back to the movie.

Eddie surprised Richie. It wasn’t until at least halfway through the movie that Eddie finally got spooked enough to frantically reach out and grab hold of Richie’s hand, Richie squeezing back tightly to reassure Eddie that everything was okay. They stayed like that, their two hands locked together underneath the blanket so Stan and Bill wouldn’t notice, until the credits started rolling, when Eddie released his hold on Richie, almost reluctantly, smiling sheepishly up at the taller boy as Richie smiled back softly at Eddie. That particular night stayed in Richie’s mind and memory for years that followed, right up until he left Derry and his memories slowly started to fade away from him, as he tried desperately to remember the feel of Eddie’s hand in his own, at that time believing that that was the closest he was ever going to get to being close in that way with Eddie Kaspbrak.

But, despite that evening remaining one of Richie’s favourite memories he made in his home-town, his best birthday was definitely the night he and the rest of the Losers celebrated the day he turned 18. Although it wasn’t as spectacular as some of the previous birthdays he had celebrated, the pure joy and happiness Richie had felt that night made it immeasurably the best birthday he’d ever had. Mike’s grandfather had given them permission to use his old barn to host the occasion and Ben had spent weeks designing and building a new roof in case it rained (the old one had caved in several years before) as well as an indoor pit they could burn a fire in to keep themselves warm, since March weather in Maine was infamous for thunderstorms. Stan, Mike, Ben and Bill spent the day buying supplies and decorating the space with bunting, comic books and pictures of all of Richie’s favourite comedians, whilst Eddie kept Richie occupied by challenging him to play every game at the arcade, the telltale scowl forming on Eddie’s face when Richie beat him every time.

It was also an important day as this was the first birthday Bev had been able to travel back from her aunt’s house for since she left Derry. The guys were nervous, a lot had changed since Bev had been gone and they were worried that things would somehow be awkward between them all in the years they had been apart. But the minute Bev burst through the doors of the barn, immediately running to Richie and swinging him around with a huge birthday hug, before proudly pulling several bottles of alcohol and a speaker out of her bag with her trademark cheeky smirk, everyone was instantly at ease, quickly slipping back into the same dynamic they had all those years ago. The whole night was spent talking and catching up on years missed, cheesy 80’s music playing in the background, the bottles of vodka and tequila being passed around between them as giggles turned into drunken laughter, each of the losers just absorbing each others’ presence and the happiness of finally being all together again.

At some point during the night, just as the opening notes to ‘Come On Eileen’ started playing, a tipsy Bev suddenly screamed with glee and stood up, grabbing Richie’s hand and pulling him into the middle of the empty space in the barn as the two began spinning and swaying together, both very out of time with the music but neither of them caring as they held onto each other, the other losers watching on and laughing at their friends. As the music carried on, everyone else slowly stumbled onto the dance floor and by the end of the song, the whole group was drunkenly dancing along, each of them with a completely different rhythm but all of them loving it, the sounds of their laughter echoing throughout the room as if imprinting the memory of the walls of the barn.

As the night continued, and slower songs began to play through Bev’s speaker, each of the losers separated off into their own little groups. Richie and Eddie were still on the dance floor, Eddie drunkenly trying to teach Richie how to move his feet in time with the rhythm of the music and Richie just laughing at him, having drunk too much alcohol to be able to even begin to try and move with the beat. So the two of them just stood with their hands gripping each other’s shoulders to try and keep each other upright, until eventually Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist and lifted him so that Eddie was stood on his feet, finally moving in time with each other, bodies pressed close together, as Eddie relaxed his head against Richie’s chest. Next to them, also still dancing slowly, were Ben and Bev. Ben had finally grown tall enough that Bev could comfortably rest her chin on his shoulder, a cigarette loosely held in one hand, her other wrapped together with Ben’s, the two of them swaying slowly to the music, their cheeks slightly red from the alcohol but with definite smiles on both of their faces.

Mike, Bill and Stan were sitting together on one of the hay bales, Stan having fallen asleep with his head resting in Mike’s lap and Bill leaning his head against Mike’s shoulder, the two passing a lit joint between them, mumbling quietly to each other as they too began to surrender to sleep. The rest of the night continued much like that until eventually all seven of the losers fell asleep in a huddle of blankets on the floor, their limbs all intertwined with each other, hands clasped together as if they were afraid each other would disappear if they let go, the last few embers of the fire still burning, casting a dim orange hue until eventually the room succumbed to darkness. Even though they awoke the next morning with heavy hangovers, barely finding the energy to get up and find water to soothe their heads, Richie will always maintain that that was one of the best nights of his life, and, if he’s being completely honest, right up until the moment he stepped foot into the Jade of the Orient, it’s the last time he can remember being truly happy.

Because little did they all know then, but that would be the last of Richie’s birthday they would all spend together for over 20 years. Since leaving Derry, and having all the memories of his childhood best friends lost from his mind, Richie’s experiences of his birthday celebrations became ones of despair, humiliation and regret. He can still recall the first birthday he spent outside of Derry, the thoughts of Eddie and the rest of the losers club long since faded from his mind. It was his 19th birthday and he had only been living in Los Angeles for a few weeks, having dropped out of college and used all of the savings he had made from his shitty diner job to pay for his flights and deposit and first month’s rent. The plan had been to perform at as many comedy open mic nights as he could, in the hopes of getting spotted by a local talent scout, but so far the majority of his time there had been spent using fake IDs to get drunk in random dive bars and waking up on the apartment floors of people he had met just hours before, so it made sense that his birthday that year wasn’t spent much differently.

The day had begun with Richie just about managing to roll himself off of the mattress that was serving as a bed in his apartment, week old beer bottles and pizza take out boxes scattering the floor that he just couldn’t find the energy to pick up and take out to the trash. After dragging himself to the kitchen where all he could find for breakfast was stale bread and slightly sour orange juice, Richie showered and threw on the cleanest t-shirt and pair of pants he could find, before making his way downstairs to the apartment building lobby to use the pay-phone to call his parents, his voice still raspy with sleep as his spoke. Richie spent the rest of the day looking through the local newspapers, circling any open mic nights he thought looked promising and eating the leftovers of the chinese takeout he had ordered the night before, until he finally heard a knock on the door of his apartment, a sign that his friends had finally arrived. Richie wondered if the term ‘friends’ was appropriate yet, since he had only met them a week before and so far their ‘friendship’ had simply consisted of doing so many shots in bars that they had to blindly stumble back to whoever’s apartment they came across first, collapsing into a heap on the floor, before waking up the following day to find their bodies wracked with severe hangovers.

Richie grinned as he opened the door and stood aside so the four men could come in, carrying various bottles of cheap alcohol and cans of beer, as well as several boxes of pizza, the smell of the cheese and pepperoni instantly filling Richie’s apartment. They spent the next hour downing the beers and passing around the bottle of vodka between them, each trying to drink for longer than the others, until they decided they were tipsy enough to head out to the bar that was just around the corner from where Richie lived. It was one that had become popular with the group since they learned that the security was more than happy to let them in without IDs. Once they arrived, Richie immediately ordered a round of tequila shots from the bar, the smell of bourbon and a faint stench of vomit filling their nostrils as they sat at their favourite table, by the window so Richie could still smoke his joint whilst they were drinking. After the fourth round of tequila shots, Richie remembers very little of the specific details of the rest of the evening, but what he does know is that the night ended with him going home with a woman he had met at the bar, the two of them fumbling about in the dark of her apartment, shaking hands pulling at zippers and shirt buttons as they collapsed onto her bed, the smell of sweat and sex filling the room until they both fell into a drunken slumber.

The next morning Richie woke up feeling sicker than he ever had before, unsure if his nausea was a result of the sheer amount of alcohol he had consumed or the naked woman laying next to him, a sight that made Richie’s stomach churn as his mind filled with panic and a niggling feeling that this was not how it was supposed to be. Richie quietly gathered up his clothes and got changed as he swiftly left her apartment, the bright light of the sun the minute he stepped outside blinding him and only making his headache intensify. After his eyes had adjusted to the daylight, he got his bearings and began the slow walk back to his own apartment, trying his best to ignore the voice in his head that was telling him that he had just made a terrible mistake and that in his heart, he knew what he was and what he truly wanted, the telltale old feeling of shame growing as Richie tried to stop the tears that began to fill his eyes. He never told anyone about that night, he wished for years he had someone he could talk to about how he felt but it never felt quite right, he never quite had the kind of close friendship he had always craved, the kind of friends he only had in distant dreams that faded as soon as he crept back into consciousness.

The years following on from that were spent much the same, as Richie’s career took-off and escalated, so did his partying and drinking lifestyle, a lifestyle filled with late nights in bars and waking up with a new woman each morning, something that became such a vital part of his sketches and skits. But it was a lie. Whilst Richie did spend a considerable amount of time in bars and clubs, drinking his way through their liquor selection, his choice of venue and bourbon becoming more lavish as his status as a comedian became more established, he had never gone home with a woman since that unspeakable first birthday he spent in L.A. It wasn’t until several years later, his 25th birthday to be exact, that he did in fact have a night like he described on stage, but instead of going home with a busty blonde like his producer would write for him, Richie ended up in the bed of a shorter brunette man, the feeling of intense pleasure pulsating through his body as their bodies moved against one another, a euphoric sensation that he had been chasing for years and thought he would never feel.

When he woke up the next morning, Richie knew there was no more denying who he was, finally accepting the fact about himself that he had known deep down since he was thirteen. He was gay. That same pattern continued for years, but things never progressed further than clumsy hand-jobs and hurried blow-jobs in nightclub toilets and the backrooms of whatever venue Richie had played at that night, Richie never quite feeling that he had met the right person that he would want to see again when he awoke the next day. He had tried to kick the habit of continuous one-night stands; every time he would tell himself that this would be the last time, that he wouldn’t do this anymore, he’d find himself once again picking up a guy at the bar, always fitting the same description: someone shorter than him with brown hair, that would laugh at Richie’s jokes and had little frown lines between his eyebrows. It was as if his brain was subconsciously trying to project the feelings he had for Eddie (someone his brain didn’t even remember at the time) onto those desperate flings and hurried one-night stands behind dumpsters at bars, experiences that only left Richie feeling numb and hollow inside, like his body was missing something, craving someone that he didn’t even truly remember, but so desperately needed to feel whole.

 _Eddie._ Richie knew there was no point in turning over to see if his partner was lying there next to him. Eddie was always up with the sun, waking at 6am every morning, fitting in a run then downing a disgusting green smoothie (Richie still didn’t know how the fuck Eddie managed to drink that stuff every day) and quickly showering before heading out of the door of their New York apartment to his office. Even on days that Richie had to work from home, he never saw Eddie in the mornings, Richie’s body clock having never quite adjusted from the late nights and even later mornings of his L.A. lifestyle. He had to admit though, he had really come to love the life he and Eddie had built in New York. Living in California for over 20 years, he believed that he would never feel at home anywhere that wasn’t in a beach house within walking distance of the ocean, and he had been worried about moving to a city that was so different to the one he had grown used to over the years. But Eddie had his job in New York and seeing as Richie’s work didn’t rely on him living in one particular city, it had made sense for Richie to move across the country and join Eddie in Manhattan. So that’s what they’d done, and in the six months that Richie had lived there, he’d grown to enjoy the sense of stability his life now had, meeting with Bev and Ben for lunch on his days off, finding local independent coffee shops that did the best espresso for when he needed a wake up call, and of course the best part of it all was coming home to Eddie every night, a dream Richie never thought would come true.

So it didn’t matter to Richie that all of his friends seemed to have forgotten it was his birthday, it didn’t matter that Eddie had gotten up and gone to work without giving Richie a card of a gift or even just whispering ‘happy birthday’ softly in his ear before he left for the day. Because fuck, Richie finally had everything he’d ever wanted, he had Eddie and they had a life together and he was finally _happy_ so it didn’t matter. He tried to reassure himself not to read into it too much, it had been 27 years after all and their memories were still coming back even now, so he can’t really blame his friends or his boyfriend for forgetting about his birthday, especially when he hadn’t mentioned anything about it to them. But Richie couldn’t help but ignore the feeling of hope that at least one of his friends would have texted him or organised to FaceTime that day to celebrate, slowly beginning to fade into disappointment.

He lay in bed for a few more minutes, scrolling through his texts to make sure he hadn’t missed any messages from anyone, before deciding that feeling sorry for himself wasn’t doing any good and he trudged to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. Whilst he didn’t have any specific birthday plans, he was due to meet Bev for a coffee on her lunch break, one of the perks of her Manhattan office being only a few blocks away from Richie and Eddie’s apartment. Ever since Richie had moved to New York, he and Bev had been meeting for lunch as often as they could when Richie wasn’t away performing, both of them quickly slipping back into that comfortable friendship they’d had when they were teenagers. Richie had forgotten how good it felt to have Bev in his life again, to have someone that he could talk to about everything, who would laugh at his jokes and encourage him to write more of his own material, but also took none of the bullshit Richie would often spout. He needed that in his life, and everyday he woke up grateful to have his best friend so close by again.

After finishing off his breakfast and replying to a few work emails from his manager (yes it was Richie’s day off, but what could he say, Eddie’s work ethic was rubbing off on him), he hopped into the shower in his and Eddie’s ensuite bathroom. After Eddie’s divorce from Myra had been finalised, Richie and Eddie had started apartment hunting, Eddie deciding to let Myra keep their shared apartment, desperate to give her whatever she wanted so she would be out of life as quickly as possible. It had taken a few weeks for Richie and Eddie to find their new home, the two of them sat on the king size bed in Eddie’s hotel room arguing over the listings in the paper trying to decide which apartment they should go for. Richie wanted one that had a good view of the city (“If I’m moving all the way across the country Eds, I don’t want our bedroom window to be facing a fucking brick wall”) and Eddie insisted that it must have at least two bedrooms so there was plenty of room for Stan, Patty, Mike and Bill to come and stay, and a home office Richie would be able to work from, after Eddie was horrified when he found out that Richie would usually just sit and write from his bed (“Rich, do you know how bad that is for your back? Fuck, you’re gonna be in a wheelchair by the time you’re 50”).

Finally, six viewings and several more arguments later, they found the apartment that had been their home for the last six months. It had taken them a whole week to move in, because even though between them they didn’t actually own much more than what was in their closets, Ben had offered to build them a new kitchen and family room, as the current ones were pretty outdated, and Bev insisted on designing and decorating every room, taking the week off work so she could help Ben with the painting before adding all of the various ornaments Richie and Eddie now had scattered all over the apartment. And whilst he knew how much work and time Eddie and Bev had spent making sure Richie’s new office was perfect for him, filled with pictures of all of the Losers (and Patty, who was now an honorary member of the group) and books on how to write good comedy sketches, Richie would always maintain that his favourite room in the house was his and Eddie’s bedroom. With a huge bed in the middle of the room (which Richie and Eddie had definitely put to good use, so many times that they were pretty sure their neighbours now hated them since neither of the men were known for being particular quiet when having sex), facing the window out of which a stunning view of Central Park was visible, Richie often found it hard to drag himself out of the room, especially on weekends when he usually awoke to find a sleepy Eddie having curled around him during the night, every inch of their skin pressed together as the sun creeped in through the drapes, slowly illuminating the room.

Having their own en suite bathroom, equipped with a huge walk-in shower, was another bonus of the space; Richie had lost count of the number of times he had joined Eddie in there, pressing their naked wet bodies together, slick cocks slipping against one another as Richie leaned down to pepper kisses to Eddie’s lips, jaw, neck, travelling further down Eddie’s chest with each press of his lips, bodies shuddering with passion as their eyes rolled into the back of their heads as their orgasms hit, painting the walls of the shower with spurts of white as they both came down from their highs. But with no Eddie there to tease this morning, Richie showered quickly, using the fancy shower shit Eddie had insisted on buying which Richie had teased him about (but in reality, he definitely preferred compared to the 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner and shower gel he used to use back in California).

After towel-drying himself (and checking his phone once again, he couldn’t help himself, a small part of Richie was still hopeful that one of friends would suddenly remember that it was his birthday, after all Mike and Bill were technically 3 hours behind New York living in L.A.), he threw on the first outfit he found in his closet. One of the many perks of living near to Bev, a world-reclaimed fashion designer, was that all of the men (and Patty) were always receiving packages of clothing, either items that were no longer being sold by Bev’s company or clothes that she wanted to test out on them. Each of their closets was now filled to the brim with various Marsh clothing items, everything from shirts and pants, to fancy dinner jackets, and even the odd bowler hat that Richie would put on after Eddie had a bad day at the office and would use to perform his own rendition of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ something that was always guaranteed to leave Eddie lying on the floor crying with laughter at how ridiculous Richie looked.

Checking his watch and realising it was still an hour before he was due to meet Bev, Richie threw himself onto the couch and decided to watch an episode of ‘Bondi Rescue’. Even though Richie couldn’t deny that he definitely enjoyed watching the programme himself (it was full of shirtless Australian lifeguards, what wasn’t there to love), it was actually Eddie who had introduced Richie to the show, after he’d accidentally let slip one evening that he would watch it almost religiously every night after Myra went to bed. Richie had been practically gleeful when he learnt this fact and it became the topic of weeks of affectionate teasing towards Eddie, each time Eddie insisting that the only reason he watches the show was to learn about ocean safety (“But Eds, you live in New York, you’re nowhere near the fucking ocean dude”, to which Eddie would just scowl back at Richie in annoyance, mumbling various curses under his breath).

Eventually it became time for Richie to head out to meet Bev and he grabbed his wallet, keys and leather jacket (New York was still known to be pretty cold in March, fuck he missed California weather sometimes), locking the door of their apartment behind him as he made his way down in the elevator and onto the street. It had taken Richie a while to get used to the fast pace of New Yorkers, so different from the vibe of the people that lived in L.A., as well as the sheer volume of tourists that could be found on every day of the freaking year, milling on street corners looking down at their maps with confusion, or suddenly stopping in the middle of the street to take photos of various buildings. But he was beginning to learn which were the quicker routes to take to get to where he needed to go and Eddie had taught him what he called his ‘tourist walk’, which basically involved using your elbows to weave your way quickly through the groups and, when absolutely necessary, just pushing people out of the way (“Fucking hell, the idiocy of some people, like why would you take up the whole of the fucking sidewalk, don’t they know people actually live here and have jobs to get to?”, a response that just made Richie laugh at Eddie and realise just how much he’d missed his little angry best friend).

By the time that Richie arrived (they’d agreed to meet at a small locally-owned coffee shop with secluded booths to give Richie a degree of privacy in case anyone recognised him, and a simple menu with “none of these ridiculous triple caramel mocha frappe-who gives a fuck” as per Bev’s request), Bev was already waiting for him outside, looking up from her phone as she heard Richie’s footsteps approaching, a huge smile appearing on her face.

“Hey loser!”, she said, reaching up and wrapping her arms around Richie as she always did, even though they saw each other at least once a week now.

“Hey Bev, how you doing?” Richie asked, smiling as he returned the hug, despite the feeling of disappointment once again bubbling inside him as he realised that Bev had obviously also forgotten about his birthday.

“Ugh, well work sucks ass right now, we have a huge deadline coming up next week and half my team are off sick but it’s nothing I can’t handle”, she said in an exasperated tone as the two walked into the coffee shop, joining the queue as Bev pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. “How are you? What did the producer think of your latest material?”

“I mean, I think they liked it, they said they’re gonna have to make a few edits but they seemed like they’d be happy for me to perform it on air”, Richie said quietly, shuffling from one foot to the other as he looked down at the floor. Even though as a kid he was pretty confident in his comedic abilities, having spent the best part of 20 years being forced to perform material that other people had written for him, it was hard for Richie to admit that he was actually capable of writing something people would find funny, although the other losers were always there to remind him just how talented he is.

“That’s great Rich! And, I expect you to get us all VIP tickets to the show, I know Stan, Mike and Bill would all fly over for it”, Bev said as they picked up their drinks from the counter and walked over to their favourite booth. “We’re all so proud of you, you know”.

“Thanks”, Richie said, his cheeks tingeing pink and creases appearing in the corner of his eyes as a smile stretched across his face. “I owe you guys a lot, without you all believing in me, there’s no way I would ever have had the guts to do this, I hope y’all know that”.

“We do”, Bev said softly, reaching across the table and squeezing Richie’s hand as the two of them smiled at one another, their smiles saying more than words ever could.

“So, do you and Eddie have any wild Friday night plans?”, Bev asked, sipping her coffee as she spoke, a mischievous smile on her face. “What do the two of you get up when the rest of us aren’t around?”

Richie laughed as he answered, “Well usually our Friday nights consist of whatever cheap take out we can find and crashing on the couch in front of the TV”.

Bev raised her eyebrows in surprise before Richie added,

“But our Saturday mornings, god that’s when things get really fun. Who would have known that Eddie’s tongue would have so many uses-”

“Yeah, yeah okay Rich, I got the picture”, Bev interrupted as Richie laughed at the almost traumatised look on her face. “And speaking of picture, I think I’m still scarred from that image of Eddie you accidentally sent to our group chat that one time”

“Oh God don’t remind me, I’m still paying for that”, Richie said, rubbing his eyes with exasperation.

“In sexual favours?”, she asked, smirking from across the table.

“Ha!”, Richie barked, “I wish. More like laundry. Every. Fucking. Week. Still I guess I deserve it. It was pretty bad.”

“Pretty bed? Oh that’s an understatement! I mean, who would have thought Eddie would pull off a leather jockstrap so well”, Bev said, winking across at Richie. “You’re a lucky man Richie Tozier.”

“That I am”, Richie said, smiling shyly as looked down at his hands.

“How’s it going with you two? Still in the sickening honeymoon ‘I’ve gotta make out with you at every opportunity’ phase?” Bev asked, smirking.

“Oh like you and Ben can talk! He built you a freaking penthouse suite like two weeks after you guys got together! That’s way more ‘honeymoon phase-y’ than what? Mine and Eddie’s weekly date night walk through Central Park if we can find the energy to drag ourselves out of bed”, Richie exclaimed.

“Yeah, Ben is a good one isn’t he”, Beverly said, smiling as she admired the engagement ring on her finger, the light from the crystal reflecting in her green eyes. “I didn’t realise it was possible to be this happy, you know? And to be with someone who actually cares about me and takes what I feel seriously. God I thought I was just gonna be stuck in that marriage with Tom forever, like, until he killed me. But now I’m with Ben I just...he makes me feel safe, and I thought I was never gonna get that”, slight tears forming in her eyes as she spoke.

“It’s what you deserve Bev”, Richie said softly. “You deserve to feel safe. All the time.”

Richie reached across to hold Bev’s hand in his for a moment, the simple gesture letting Bev know that it was okay, that she wasn’t alone any more.

“Anyway, I’m pretty sure Stan and Patty have us all beat on the whole couple thing anyway. If my last conversation with Stan is anything to go by”, Richie said, a knowing look on his face as he sipped at his coffee.

“No! Wait, what? What do you know Richie?”, Bev said, immediately intrigued.

“Well I can’t say anything officially, Stan’ll castrate me, so this stays between us, okay? But let’s just say our group may be getting a new member in a few months”, Richie said, not able to stop the huge grin from forming on his face.

Bev clapped her hands to her mouth in surprise “Patty’s pregnant?!”.

“Yeah”, Richie replied, still grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh my god, that’s amazing news!”, Bev said, her smile matching that of Richie’s. “How come they haven’t said anything yet?”

“Oh Stan said they’re gonna do a whole big announcement party. Not a baby shower though, apparently Patty hates them and calls them ‘the worst idea known to mankind’”, Richie replied, Bev laughing at his words.

“It’ll be nice though, for us all to get together again. I miss hanging out with you guys”, Richie sighed.

“Yeah, it’s really been a while huh?”, Bev said, hiding a knowing smile behind her coffee cup.

They both jumped slightly when Richie’s phone suddenly vibrated on the table as his screen lit up, Richie picking up his phone to check who had just texted him.

“Oh, it’s Eds”, he says, an affectionate expression on his face. “He’s asked if I can meet him at his office when he finishes work to help him carry some boxes home.”

“Bet he really regrets giving Myra the car in the divorce huh?”, Bev snorts.

“Ha, yeah. I’ve told him he can use my car but apparently there’s some stat about how you’re more fucking likely to get into an accident driving a mustang in New York than any other car”, Richie said, in an exasperated tone that he only ever used when he was talking about Eddie and one of his arguably unnecessary stresses.

“That sounds like our Eddie”, Bev replied chuckling, as she looked down to check the time on her watch. “Well as much as I would love to spend the rest of the day taking the piss out of dear friends, I have 600 pairs of tailored pants that need boxing before Monday morning so I think I’m gonna have to take off” as she and Richie both gathered their belongings up from the table and stood up to leave.

“Do you like, want some help?”, Richie asked as they began to walk outside, waving to the barista as they did so.

“Wait, Rich are you sure? Do you have the time?”, Bev asked, relief clear in her voice as she placed her sunglasses back on as the two stepped out onto the street, wincing at the bright light of the sun.

“Of course. I mean, I was supposed to spend the afternoon falling asleep whilst watching reruns of Judge Judy but I _guess_ I could fit you in”, Richie said as Bev laughed.

“Well thanks Richie, I really appreciate it. I’ll find a way to repay you I promise”, Bev said as they linked arms and began to walk to her office.

“Oh perfect, you can pay me back by buying me my tux for your wedding”, Richie replied, winking at Bev.

“Rich, you’re our best man, of course I’m buying your tux. You know the deal, I’m designing you an awesome tux and you’re gonna write a killer best man speech” Bev said.

“Oh don’t worry, it’s gonna kill alright. I think I’m gonna start with an ode to Ben’s infatuation with both you and New Kids on the Block, with their greatest hits album playing in the background of course” Richie said, smirking.

“Jesus Christ”, Bev said laughing. “You know, the only thing that could top that would be if you actually got New Kids on the Block to play at our wedding.”

“Oh don’t you know? They’re gonna be the strippers at Ben’s bachelor party. Yeah, we’ve been organising it for months now, they’re gonna come out of cake and everything, it’s gonna be awesome”, Richie said, his expression dead serious but his eyes smiled in a way they always did when he was telling a joke.

By this point Bev was practically doubled over on the sidewalk with laughter, her grip on Richie’s arm being the only thing still holding her upright.

“Richie Tozier, how did I ever survive 27 years without you?”

* * *

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the two of them boxing up Bev’s orders, Richie telling so many jokes that Bev developed the hiccups from laughing so much, which sent them both into even more hysterics until eventually, it became time for Richie to hug Bev goodbye and make his way several blocks down to Eddie’s office.

It was only a short walk to Eddie’s office but Richie was glad of the fresh air as it gave him a few moments to prepare himself for the incoming disappointment he was sure he would once again feel upon seeing Eddie and realising that his boyfriend had definitely forgotten it was his birthday, and it wasn’t just that he just didn’t want to wake Richie up that morning (or even call or text him during the day to wish him a happy birthday).

Richie once again reminded himself that it didn’t matter, that just having Eddie in his life again was the best present he could have ever dreamed of, and that he didn’t need recognition of his birthday from his friends or partner or anyone else for that matter.

As he pushed open the door to the building of Eddie’s company, he tried to plaster a fake smile onto his face as he waved to Bob the doorman (by this point, pretty much everyone in the building knew who Richie from his bi-weekly visits to see Eddie at work, bringing him coffee or lunch or flowers or sometimes just because he was at home alone in the apartment and missed him and yes, Richie realised that Bev may have had a point, maybe they were sickening at times, but Richie also didn’t care because finally, _finally_ , he was happy). Making his way up in the elevator to the floor where Eddie’s office was located, Richie’s fake smile quickly turned into a real one at the thought of seeing his boyfriend, despite only having seen Eddie less than 24 hours ago. Richie couldn’t help it, even after all these months of being together, he still got the same feeling of excitement in his heart, the same flutter of anticipation in his chest whenever he saw Eddie again, a feeling he honestly believed would never go away, especially when he’d spent over 20 years yearning desperately for Eddie, even if he didn’t remember who he was longing for at the time.

As he opened the door to the office, he was greeted with the sight of Eddie, who’d already changed from his work clothes into a shirt and jeans, leaning over his desk as he was reaching to grab some paper from the filing cabinet, his shirt slightly riding up exposing the lining of his underwear, an image which made Richie bite his bottom lip in anticipation as he felt his own jeans tightening slightly.

“Fuck Eds, if I’d known I was gonna walk into your office and find you like this, I’d have been here hours ago”, Richie said, voice husky with want.

Eddie jumped slightly as he heard the voice behind him, before turning around to face Richie, a grin on his face.

“Oh hey handsome, I didn’t hear you come in”, he said as he reached up to press a soft kiss to Richie’s lips, wrapping his arms around Richie’s waist as Richie’s hands reached up to cup Eddie’s cheeks.

“Sorry”, Richie whispered in between kisses, “I guess the sight of you bent over like that made me forget how to talk for a second.”

“Now that would be a first”, Eddie snorted, pulling away slightly to look up into Richie’s eyes, a soft smile on his face. “Richie Tozier rendered speechless, maybe I should bend over my office desk more often”, he whispered, his hand moving down from Richie’s waist to his ass.

“Mmm, I definitely think you should do that”, Richie moaned as he chased Eddie’s lips for another kiss, pressing their bodies together.

“It’s definitely an idea I’ll keep in mind”, Eddie whispered before leaning up to kiss Richie again, Richie’s tongue just lightly tracing against his lips as Eddie opened his mouth to allow him access, the kiss deepening as the sound of their soft moans began to fill the room.

After a few minutes, Eddie eventually pulled away, a regretful look on his face as he said,

“But unfortunately, as much as I wish we did, we don’t have time for that right now.”

“Are you sure?”, Richie asked, disappointment creeping into his voice “We don’t have to take those boxes back to the apartment straight away, do we?”

“Oh actually there’s a change of plans”, Eddie replied, still holding Richie’s hand in his own even after they’d pulled away.

“Oh yeah?”, Richie said, his voice hopeful that maybe Eddie had made some birthday plans without Richie’s knowing.

“Yeah. I don’t need that stuff for the weekend anymore, but we do have to take a USB drive over to my colleague before we head home, he’d already left before I realised I hadn’t given it to him, sorry I’m an idiot”, Eddie said as he turned away from Richie to place a few things into his briefcase. “But don’t worry though, he only lives like 10 minutes in an Uber, we’ll be back to our usually scheduled Friday night take out plans before you know it.”

“Oh”, Richie said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“Anyway, the Uber’s already booked so we should probably head down now so we don’t miss it”, Eddie said, pretending not to notice the change in Richie’s tone as he packed up his briefcase and reached for Richie’s hand as he locked his office door behind them before the two headed into the elevator, waving to Eddie’s few colleagues that were still in the office as they left.

Eddie was right, the Uber was only a short ride; their driver instantly recognised Richie when they got into the car and he spent the whole ride talking all about his favourite sketches that Richie had done and how talented Richie was as a comedian, Eddie nodding along in agreement, a look of pride on his face at the driver’s praise for Richie as Richie once again found himself wondering just how this was his life now.

After they’d pulled over and thanked the driver, Richie giving him an extra tip for his kind words, they walked over to the door of the address Eddie had been given. The building didn’t look much like an apartment building, in fact, it looked like it was currently in the middle of construction, with a workers van parked out front and tonnes of bricks and rubble scattered on the sidewalk.

“Hey Eds, are you sure you got the right address, it doesn’t look like anyone lives here?”, Richie asked, looking up at the building in front of them with bewilderment.

“Oh yeah, Jeff said he’s currently having his kitchen remodelled or something, don’t worry we’re in the right place”, Eddie said, trying to hide a smile as they were buzzed into the building and began to climb up the stairs to the third floor, Richie still not looking convinced.

As they reached the only door on the third floor, Richie was about to say to Eddie that he thinks his colleague must be pranking him or something because there’s no way anyone lives here, just as Eddie pushed open the door to the sound of several party poppers being released as Richie was greeted with a loud chorus of “SURPRISE!”.

Stood in the doorway in total shock, it took Richie a minute to process what was happening, as he looked around the large room, filled with birthday banners and balloons, and saw Bev, Ben, Mike, Bill, Stan and Patty all stood there sporting various party hats, huge smiles on all of their faces and he turned to face Eddie, who had a matching grin at the look of complete surprise on Richie’s face.

“Wh...what the….what the fuck?...What is this?”, Richie stuttered, still not able to move from his spot in the doorway, feeling as though his feet had been cemented to the floor in shock.

“Happy Birthday Rich”, Eddie said as he reached up to press a light kiss to Richie’s cheek, still smiling from ear to ear.

“Wait...you guys remembered?”, Richie said, surprise echoing in his voice as he looked around once again at all his friends, still in disbelief that they were all standing here in front of him. “I...I thought..”

“That what? We’d forgotten it was your birthday?”, Bev replied, winking at Richie as she spoke.

“Well...I mean...yeah. None of you said anything and it’s been fucking 27 years I didn’t think you guys would actually remember”, Richie said, his voice still shaking slightly.

“Of course we remembered Rich”, Stan said softly. “You’re our best friend.”

“Yeah, do you not remember when we were kids? You’d given us a f-fucking daily countdown from the minute the Christmas holidays were over”, Bill added.

“ _And_ , even if in some god awful scenario we had forgotten, Eddie texted us all like a month ago to start planning this, he wanted to make sure you had an awesome day”, Mike said, grinning over at Eddie, who was smirking at Richie.

“Y-y-you…”, Richie began as he turned once again to face Eddie, not quite knowing what to say. “You little fucker Eds!”, he decided on as laughter from all the other losers erupted throughout the room.

“You’re welcome Rich”, Eddie said laughing and grabbing Richie’s hand to press a light kiss to his palm.

“B-but Stan, Patty, you guys are supposed to be in Atlanta? And Mike and Bill, what the fuck happened to L.A?” Richie said incredulously.

“We got some days off work, you didn’t seriously think we were gonna miss this did you?”, Stan said, as if it was obvious that of course they were all going to fly across the country to make sure they were with Richie for his birthday.

“We all love you Rich...so much. You seriously haven’t realised that by now?”, Eddie said, quietly so the other losers wouldn’t hear. “I’m sorry we all had to pretend we’d forgotten your birthday, but damn it was worth it to see the look on your face when you walked in that door”.

Richie reached out to grab Eddie and press a searing kiss to his lips, no longer able to spend another second more _not_ kissing Eddie, trying to force every ounce of gratitude and love he felt right now into that kiss, feelings that he couldn’t convey with words. “I love you Eddie, so fucking much” he whispered against Eddie’s lips.

“I love you too Richie”, Eddie replied, smiling softly up at Richie, before Bev yelled out, “Now let’s get this party fucking started!”

* * *

“So where did you guys even find somewhere like this?”, Richie asked as he looked around the space, which was lit by hundreds of fairy lights hanging from the ceiling and candles on tables placed throughout the room. The group all sat on bean bags and camp chairs around a heating unit that was plugged into the wall to keep warm, Mike, Stan and Ben sipping on glasses of wine, Patty drinking from a glass of orange juice whilst Richie, Eddie, Bev and Bill had opted for bottles of beer.

“Oh that would be me”, Ben replied smiling. “I’ve been contracted to do this space up for a closet company and when Eddie mentioned he needed somewhere to host your birthday, I realised this place could work.”

“It’s perfect Ben, I owe you one”, Eddie said, tilting his drink towards him as a gesture of thanks.

“So, Mike, how are you finding California?” Richie asked, “You joined a pilates class yet?”

Mike laughed, a sound which brought a soft smile to Bill’s face as he turned to look at his boyfriend with adoration. “Not quite yet, but I gotta say, I am enjoying my 6am runs on the beach”.

“Oh really? Does Bill go running with you?”, Stan asked, looking at Bill with a knowing expression.

Mike snorted, “You’re kidding right? I think fighting that fucking clown was easier than trying to get Bill out of bed any time before 10am.”

“Hey! I’m a writer, I gotta write when I get the inspiration. I can’t help it that it's usually 3 in the morning. You get that right Rich?” Bill said, turning to Richie.

“Are you kidding?”, Eddie interrupted. “I don’t know what kind of life Richie used to lead in L.A. but believe me, New York Richie falls asleep on the couch at 9:00 every. Fucking. Night. I swear to god sometimes I just leave him there because I can’t deal with trying to wake him up and carry him to bed”.

“Oh so that’s why my back’s so fucked? Screw you, Eds”, Richie said, knocking Eddie’s knee with his own as he laughed.

“Really? Your back seemed just fine the other night when I was bending you over the kitchen counter”, Eddie replied, smirking as he took another swig of his beer.

“Oh god”, Stan said, looking like he might throw up. “You know I think I actually preferred it when they fought over whose turn it was to sit in the hammock”, everyone chuckling in agreement.

“Oh don’t worry, we still do stuff like that Stanley, it’s just you know, now we’d settle that kind of argument by having sex in the hammock”, was Richie’s response, winking over at Eddie who was blushing furiously, as the sound of Bill choking on his drink in the background was heard, Mike patting him on the back as Patty and Ben just laughed in disbelief.

“Oh my god okay I think I speak for everyone here when I say, we love you both, but please for the love of god if you talk any more about your sex life, we will have to kick you out of your own birthday party Richie”, Stan said, with an exasperated tone.

Changing the subject, Bev asked “So Stan, Patty, how are you guys doing lately?”, subtly winking at Richie who sent daggers across to her, as if to say “You fucking swore”.

“Well, we do kinda have some news we wanted to share with you guys”, Stan replied, as Patty, softly whispering to him “Stan, not now! It’s Richie’s birthday”.

“Richie won’t mind honey”, Stan said to her, smiling as Patty took a moment before nodding in agreement. Stan smiled, placing his arm around his wife as he turned to the group and announced “Patty’s pregnant.”

“Oh my god wow!”, Bev said, a very convincing surprised tone in her voice as Richie rolled his eyes at her whilst cheers of exclamation and celebration erupted from the room as everyone stood up to congratulate the pair, Richie moving over to spin Patty around in a big hug as Eddie and Bill patted Stan on the back, looks of pure elation on everyone’s face as the happiness radiated from the whole group.

“This is so exciting! How far along are you Patty?”, Mike asked as they all sat back down, leaning against Bill as he spoke.

“16 weeks so I’m only in the second trimester but it feels like it’s going by so quickly. I worry I’m gonna blink and suddenly the baby’s gonna be here”, she replied chuckling, her hand naturally moving to her stomach where a slight bump could be seen under her dress.

“God, the first Losers Club kid, I can’t believe it”, Bill said, exhaling as he spoke, a still slightly shocked expression lingering on his face.

“I know, sometimes it feels like we’re still those little kids running around the arcade or hiding from Bowers and his gang in the clubhouse” Eddie said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Yeah and you with your little fanny packs you took everywhere with you. Cute cute cute!”, Richie teased, nudging Eddie as a scowl appeared on his face.

“Oh like you can fucking talk, how about those ridiculous glasses you used to wear that made your eyes look like the size of fucking basketballs?”, Eddie retorted, earning a snort from Stan.

“Hey! Those were for a legit medical condition, I couldn’t see, you asshole!”, Richie replied, turning to face Eddie.

“What did you think I carried in my fanny pack Rich, comic books?” Eddie said, that small crease forming between his eyebrows that always appeared whenever he was angry, a feature that never failed to make Richie smile, and this occasion was no different.

“Okay, okay so we were all a little bit lame back in the day, I think that’s something we can all agree on”, Ben interrupted, laughing. “Stan, Patty, have you guys decided on a name yet?”

“You know since you’ve announced this news on my birthday, that means you’re morally obliged to name the baby Richie if it’s a boy right?”, Richie said, grinning at Stan and Patty.

“Um, I think there can only be one Richie in this group”, Stan said laughing nervously.

“Yeah, you’d give the kid one hell of a r-reputation to live up to Rich”, Bill said, smiling at Richie.

“Oh absolutely. Some of the stuff you’ve done over the years, I genuinely wouldn’t believe unless I’d been there to witness it”, Bev added as the other losers all nodded in agreement.

“Like what?”, Patty asked curiously.

Mike snorted as he said “Do you remember the party he had for his 16th?”, to which Richie just buried his head in his hands, embarrassment pooling inside him at the memory.

“Wait, was that the one with the fire and the pond?”, Bev asked.

“Oh my god what did you do Richie?”, Patty asked, practically gleeful with excitement.

“Well Richie thought a load of drunken 16 year olds and a house with no parents would be the perfect set up to let off a load of those chinese lanterns”, Stan replied.

“ _Which_ , if I remember correctly, _I_ advised you all against”, Eddie added.

“Eddie Kaspbrak, ever the voice of reason”, Richie said, smiling as Eddie rolled his eyes.

“Hey! I was just trying to keep you assholes safe!”, Eddie replied.

“Yeah, I think on this occasion maybe we should have listened to Eddie’s advice”, Bev admitted.

“Oh god what happened?”, Patty asked eagerly.

“Well, it turns out, after you light them, you’re supposed to let the lanterns inflate with air before you send them up into the sky. Except we didn’t actually read what we’re supposed to do so we lit it and just sort of...let it go”, Bill said, cringing at the memory.

“So wait, it didn’t fly?”, Patty said.

“Oh no, it flew”, Eddie said. “For about 2 feet before it landed in Richie’s neighbours garden and set their favourite rose bush on fire”.

“Noooo way!”, Patty said, cackling with gleeful laughter. “What did you do?”, turning to Richie

“Well, in my drunken state, naturally I climbed over the fence to try and put the fire out, ya know, like a good neighbour!”, Richie said.

“Yeah, except when you climbed over, you landed in their pond!”, Stan replied, snorting into his beer as he spoke.

“ _Which_ Richie decided he was going to use to his advantage so he just started splashing water from the pond _onto_ the flaming rose bush”, Ben said, smiling at the memory.

Patty just burst out laughing, an image of young Richie stood in a pond frantically throwing water onto a burning bush causing her to fall into hysterics. “Wait, did it work?” she eventually managed to get out.

“Fuck no!”, Richie said. “They had to call the fire service and everything to stop it spreading to the house, I got into so much fucking trouble, I was grounded for like a month.”

“Yeah, but at least you can laugh about it now though”, Patty said smiling as Stan squeezed her hand.

“Hey! Whilst you’re all laughing, I think you’re forgetting the most important thing we learnt from that night”, Eddie interrupted.

“What’s that Eds?”, Bev asked, smiling at him.

“That I’m always fucking right.”

* * *

The evening continued much the same, everyone laughing and sharing stories of their childhood as they smiled in reminiscence of all the great memories they had shared growing up, Patty soaking up every one, particularly enjoying the story Richie told of Stan’s momentous speech at his bar mitzvah. Then, just as she had at Richie’s 18th celebrations, Bev stood up to connect her phone to a speaker Ben had brought along and began to play a classic 80’s playlist, eliciting cheers from everyone as they all heaved themselves out of their seats and grabbed the hands of their partners. Much like when they were kids, they spent the rest of the night dancing together, the light of the candles illuminating their shadows onto the wall and lighting up the room in a dim yellow glow. But, whereas at Richie’s 18th when they all had the knowledge that soon they would all be leaving each other and going off to college, this time they had the joy of knowing that nothing was ever going to separate them again.

After several hours of dancing, including Richie and Patty performing a surprisingly coordinated dance routine to ‘Footloose’, Richie excused himself to go out onto the balcony for a smoke, a habit Eddie was desperately trying to get him to quit, despite a small part of him enjoying how fucking hot Richie looked when he smoked, even if he would never admit it.

As Richie was leaning over the balcony, blowing cigarette smoke into the air, he heard the door open behind him and turned around to see Stan walking over to him.

“Hey Stan, what’s up”, Richie asked softly. “Was mine and Patty’s duet too much for you too so you needed some fresh air?”, Richie said, winking at him.

“Ha”, Stan chuckled, “I gotta say I’m impressed, your coordination has definitely improved over the years Rich, I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Oh I’m full of surprises, you should know that by now Stan”, Richie said, smirking as he stubbed out his cigarette on the metal railing.

“Don’t I know it” Stan replied, returning the smile. “Hey Rich, Patty and I actually wanted to ask you something.”

“Damn, you know I gotta say, I did see this coming. You want me to be your third right? Look Stan, I can’t say I’m not flattered by your request but I’m pretty committed to Eddie, I just don’t think I could do that to him”, Richie said, his face one of total seriousness.

“Fuck you, dude”, Stan said, as the two of them started laughing. “No, look I know it’s early and the baby hasn’t even been born yet, but Patty and I really want you to be the godfather.”

Richie paused, stunned, as he felt a lump forming in his throat.

“M-me? You guys want me to be godfather? Are..are you sure?”, he said, his voice cracking with emotion and shock.

“Of course, I mean you’re my best friend, you know that. And..I’m so proud of you Rich. To see how far you’ve come, not just in your career, which you’re killing by the way, but in your whole life, it’s just so great to see. I’m so fucking proud of you Richie, you really deserve this you know, you deserve to be happy”, Stan said sincerely, his hand on Richie’s shoulder as he smiled at his best friend, Richie’s eyes filling with tears as he spoke.

Richie just nodded, unable to find the words to convey how he felt as Stan reached out and pulled him into a fierce hug.

“I love you Rich. Always have, always will. Never forget that, okay?”, Stan whispered in his eyes as he held onto Richie tightly.

“I love you too Stanley. Thank-you...thank-you for everything. I wouldn’t be here without you”, Richie replied quietly as a few stray tears escaping his eyes and rolling down his cheeks.

The two stayed like that for a few more moments, holding each other in a tight embrace, the hug not just saying everything that needed to be said, but also representing a feeling of safety, a feeling of home and support and trust that Stan and Richie have always been for each other, for as long as they could remember.

* * *

The losers spent several more hours dancing and drinking and talking with one another until eventually the candles slowly started to go out one by one and Mike and Bill and Stan and Patty, all slightly exhausted from their flights, excused themselves to head back to their hotels, promising to see the others tomorrow for lunch as they were all staying in New York for the rest of the weekend. After a little while more, Ben, Bev, Richie and Eddie also decided it was time to head off too, calling Ubers to pick them up and take them home.

Just before Bev got into the car, she turned to Richie and wrapped her arms around his neck as he said, “You’re a little shit you know Molly Ringwald. When we went out for coffee earlier, I had no idea you guys had planned this.”

Bev laughed at that. “Good to know our integrity remains intact.” as she pressed a kiss to Richie’s cheek. “I love you Rich, I hope you’ve had a great birthday.”

“I love you too. And I really have, I can’t thank you guys enough”, Richie replied, clear happiness on his face. “I honestly don’t know how to repay you all”.

“You can repay me with a fucking awesome party for my birthday”, Bev said, grinning.

Richie laughed, “Deal. I’ll see you guys tomorrow, let me know when you get home okay?”.

“Will do”, Ben replied as they closed the door and the car drove off, before Richie and Eddie climbed into their own Uber.

“So, did you have fun?”, Eddie asked, smiling over at Richie, reaching for him as he rubbed his hand over the back of Richie’s thumb.

“I really did. Fuck Eds, I just...thank-you, thank you so much for this. I still can’t believe it”, Richie replied, smiling back at Eddie as he looked at his boyfriend with total adoration and gratitude.

“I’m so fucking glad Rich, I’m so glad you’re happy. You deserve the best you know, you really fucking do”, Eddie said, his voice slightly slurred from the alcohol.

“I really am so fucking happy Eddie. I honestly don’t see how my birthday could get any better”, Richie sighed happily.

“Oh well in that case, does that mean you don’t want your present when we get home?”, Eddie said, smirking at him from across the back seat.

“Present? You mean, that party wasn’t the present?”, Richie asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh the party was definitely part of it. But I also have something else planned”, Eddie said, a knowing tone in his voice as he leaned over to whisper in Richie’s ear. “Something that you definitely won’t want an audience for”.

Richie groaned quietly as he felt his jeans tightening. “Fuck Eds”, he stuttered, trying hard to stifle his moans as Eddie’s hands trailed down Richie’s shirt to his pants, his touch just light enough to leave Richie’s body squirming for more.

Luckily it was only a few more minutes until the Uber pulled up to their apartment building, the two hurrying to pay the driver before stumbling into the elevator and pressing the button for their floor. The minute the doors closed, Richie grabbed Eddie and pulled him against him, their lips desperately pressing together in a messy kiss as Eddie’s hands reached around to grab Richie’s ass whilst Richie ran his fingers through Eddie’s hair, tugging slightly which pulled a groan of pleasure from Eddie’s lips.

“You’re so fucking beautiful Rich” Eddie moaned “I can’t wait to fuck you when we get inside”, biting down on Richie’s bottom lip as he spoke.

“Damn Eds, if you keep talking like that, I’m gonna blow my load right here”, Richie replied, his voice raspy with want as he pressed his hardening cock against Eddie’s waist.

“Don’t you fucking dare”, Eddie replied, causing Richie to laugh as he once reached down to press kisses to Eddie’s jaw.

The minute the doors opened to their floor, they quickly stumbled to their apartment, Eddie’s hands fumbling to get the keys in the lock. The moment they stepped over the threshold, the door closing behind them, Eddie pushed Richie up against the wall, reaching for the zipper on his jeans.

“You’re not too drunk for me to be taking advantage of you, are you?”, Eddie asked his hands running up and down Richie’s chest as he spoke, causing shivers to run down Richie’s spine with anticipation.

“Definitely not.” Richie replied, his own hands already undoing the buttons on Eddie’s shirt as they stumbled to their bedroom, opening the door without ever breaking contact.

“Thank fuck”, Eddie softly whispered, reaching up to kiss Richie once more as he kicked the bedroom door shut behind them, their clothes being ripped off and thrown onto the floor, hands roaming and reaching for any bit of bare skin they could find, as they both collapsed on the bed, every inch of their bodies pressed together in complete intimacy.

* * *

That night as they lay there in their post-coital bliss, Eddie still pressing the softest of kisses to Richie’s chest, their hands intertwined as Richie ran his fingers through Eddie’s soft hair, Richie found himself once again wondering just how he got this lucky. To go from being stuck in a sinking pit of depression, never committing to anything more than dark and desperate one-night stands, because part of him believed he wasn’t worthy of anything more than that, wasn’t worthy of being loved the way he’s now learning that he deserves. To now falling asleep every night in the arms of the love of his life, a person who makes Richie feel valued and important and worthy of love, and the only person he can ever imagine himself wanting to be with? Yeah, this was definitely Richie’s best birthday yet.

**Author's Note:**

> My twitter is [@eddiesaspirator](https://twitter.com/eddiesaspirator) and my tumblr is [@sunsinksdownnocurfew](https://sunsinksdownnocurfew.tumblr.com) come and chat to me on there so we can scream together about how Richie Tozier deserves all the love in the world.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, all feedback, kudos and comments are so appreciated! :)


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